The Family Reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone
by TakeMeToAnotherWorld
Summary: All 3 generations from 1977, 1995 and 2017 get together to read all the Harry Potter books in a different dimension without real time.
1. Disappearing in a Purple Light

Disclaimer: Sadly Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling and not me

**A/N: Hey everyone**

**This is my first fanfic and English is not my first language so you have to bear over with me. **

**If there are any mistakes or things I could have done better feel free to tell me.**

**Well here is the Prolog.**

******Enjoy.**

* * *

Prolog: Disappearing in a Purple Light

** * * 1977 * * **

It was late Christmas Eve and the only ones left in the Common Room was the Marauders, minus Peter he went to bed early that night, and Lily. The Marauders were laughing and planning a joke on the Slytherins, something with red and gold hair and singing "The Gryffindors are awesome" every time they insulted them or said the word Mudblood. Lily was doing her homework and trying to ignore them. Just as she was about to yell at them to shut up a bright, purple light and they disappeared from that dimension.

** * * 1995 * * **

It was Christmas Eve and the kids were upstairs talking and playing Exploding Snap. Mrs. Weasley was preparing dinner while Remus, Tonks, Sirius, Bill, Charlie and McGonagall were talking about nothings and Snape sat in the corner looking at the people with an annoyed expression on his face. Mr. Weasley was on his way up to get the kids so they could and they were all down very quickly with all the boys having almost ravenous expressions on their faces. Just as they were about to eat they too disappeared in a purple light and joined the others in the new and separate dimension.

** * * 2017 * * **

It was Christmas Eve and after an amazing meal cooked by Mrs. Weasley and the kids went to the living room to have a Wizard Chess Tournament while the adults stayed in the dining room to talk. It fell upon Teddy and Victoire, who had decided to spend Christmas with them because she and Teddy had just gotten engaged and he always spent Christmas with the Potters and Ron and Hermione and their children, to look after the kids. When they came in it was James and Hugo who played and even though Hugo was 4 years younger than James he was still kicking his ass. He had taken that after his father. Rose was sitting in a chair at the fire with her book and at times glancing over to the rest to make sure they didn't make any trouble. Lily was watching the Chess match with interest in her brown eyes. Teddy sat down in a chair with Victoire in his lap talking quietly with her while still keeping an eye on the others. Just as he glanced up a purple light appeared and took them away too to the other dimension.


	2. Introductions

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue

**A/N: Hey everyone**

**Here's the next chapter**

**Just a little info:**

**The people's names from 1977 is ****underlined**

**From 1995 is **normal

**And from 2017 is bold**

**Thoughts are written in **_**cursive**_

**That's about it.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Introductions

** * * Mysterious Dimension without a real time or place* * **

The first to arrive were James, Sirius, Remusand Lily.When they looked around they saw a huge room with soft cream colored walls and windows with a view over the ocean. The curtains were a darker cream almost golden and the couches were sky blue. There were six three-person couches, a loveseat and three armchairs. A fire was burning and it was dark outside. In the middle of the room was a table with a big box and a letter on top. They sat dumbstruck on the carpet which covered the entire floor. It too were cream colored although more dusty cream. They were just getting up when they heard another plop and about 18 people appeared on the other side of the room. There was a lot of noise and everybody was shouting at each other about where the hell they were when _another _loud plop sounded and 7 more people appeared. The noise only increased until McGonagall said _Sonorus _pointing her wand to her throat and said over the noise;

"Will everybody please calm down and keep quit".

Silence came at last and everybody turned to look at her.

"So, now everybody is quiet go to the groups you were in hen you arrived and we can all introduce ourselves and remember to tell what year you are from. Good. Now how about you 4 start?"

She turned to look at James,Sirius, Remusand Lily. They looked at each other and James started.

"So, eh I'm James Potter and we," he gestured to the 4 of them," are from 1977".

A boy with black hair who actually looked a lot like himself if he thought about the same hair, facial structure and body but with a weird lightning bolt formed scar and emerald green eyes. Wait, a minute he knew those eyes, it was Lily's eyes. Weird. Even weirder was the fact that the boy was looking at him and Lily with a mixture of longing and sadness. Sirius stepped forward.

" I'm Sirius Black,"

"And I'm Remus Lupin,"

"And I'm Lily Evans."

There was a long, quite awkward silence before a man in the biggest group cleared his throat and stepped forward. The man was thin with long brown hair and grey eyes. He looked a lot like Sirius in fact it could have been Sirius just older. He continued the introductions,

"I'm also Sirius Black but from 1995 just like them," he gestured to the large group of people behind him.

All four stared at him with eyes that looked about ready to pop out and mouths open. Especially Sirius. The others in the large group continued.

"I'm Remus Lupin,"

"Nymphadora Tonks, but just call me Tonks, I hate my first name,"

"Professor Minerva McGonagall,"

"Professor Severus Snape,"

This caused the Marauder to glare at him but they stayed silent.

"Moi, je suis Fleur Delacour."

"Bill Weasley,"

"We're Fred -"

"And George Weasley,"

It continued like that trough the entire Weasley family ending with Ron.

"I'm Hermione Granger,"

And at last the strange boy who been staring at James and Lily the whole time. He said quietly;

"I'm Harry Potter,"

So they were related, thought James. But how?

"So, um how are you related to me?"

"You're my dad,"

James stared at the boy in shock and managed to ask;

"Who's your mother?"

The boy's, Harry's, eyes flickered for a moment to Lily and then to the bushy haired girl, eh, Hermione as if asking permission to say and she merely nodded.

"Lily Potter nee Evans,"

Both James and Lily stared before Lily just stood there looking shocked but also a bit happy James began to dance a happy dance while he sang at top of his lungs;

"I MARRY LILY. I MARRY LILY.I MARRY LIL…"

Before Remus silenced him with a charm. He turned the last group.

"And who are you? And what year was it here you come from?"

"Okay, since I'm the oldest I'll start. I'm Teddy Remus L-Lupin. The year is 2017 back home."

"You're m-my s-son?"

"Yes, yours and before you ask no I'm not a werewolf."

"Though he does get quite cranky around the full moon."

"Oh shut it, James!"

"And who's your mom?"

"That would be Nymphadora Tonks."

Everyone stared at the two and Tonks began to blush but smiled a little too. Remus just stared at the ground in shame but secretly he was kind of happy. He just didn't want to drag her into his mess. What with his "furry little problem" and the fact that he was 13 years older than her.

"And I'm James Sirius Potter the most awesome person in the world. My parents are Harry Potter aaaand… drumrolls please, Ginny Potter nee Weasley."

No everyone was staring at them and they were blushing furiously while trying not to look anybody in the eyes. **James **was grinning mischievously at their embarrassment.

"Well, I'm Albus Severus Potter and unfortunately I'm that idiot's brother."

"You named your son after _him_?" – "You named your son after _me_?

Was heard said with absolute disbelief as they stared at Harry who just shrugged and continued looking at the floor. He too couldn't believe he had named his son after _Snape_ of all people.

"Dad always says I'm named after two of the bravest men he knew even though one of them was a Slytherin."

"WHAT?!"

_No, he couldn't know, _thought Snape, _but then again why else would he say that? This is so strange. _

"Moving on, I'm Lily Luna Potter and I'm the youngest in the Potter family."

"You have 3 kids?!"

"Congratulations, you can count."

"James, not _now_!"

Teddy said and then gestured to the two last kids.

"Okay, I'm Rose Weasley and I'm the daughter of Ron Weasley and Hermione Weasley nee Granger and this is Hugo. He's my little brother."

"FINALLY!"

Was exclaimed from almost all the people in the group from 1995, even McGonagall. Ron and Hermione were blushing but both were trying to hide goofy smiles that threatened to spread across their faces.

"I'm Victoire Weasley the oldest daughter of Bill Weasley and Fleur Weasley nee Delacour."

Both Bill and Fleur just smiled at each other thought a little shocked.

"James what are you doing? Put that down now!"

"But look it's books and the first is called Harry Potter and the Sorceres Stone. It's about Dad."

Harry groaned;

"Of course we have to be here to read about _me_."

"Well let's get to it.

They sat in the couches with Harry, Ron and Hermione in the first, next to Hermione was Neville, Lily and Luna in a couch, then Percy, Snape and McGonagall in armchairs, the next couch was occupied by George, Fred and Ginny, then a loveseat with Fleur and Bill in it, next to them was Charlie, Arthur and Molly in a three person couch, then Tonks, Remus and Sirius, again a loveseat just with Teddy and Victoire in it, next to them was **Albus**,** Lily** and **James**, then** Rose** and **Hugo **and last was Remus, Sirius and James. The couches were in a circle so it would be easy to pass the book around.

"How about Harry starts since it's about him and then we just pass it on to the right."

Harry cleared his throat and began;

"**The Boy Who Lived**"

**A/N: Rewiews inspire me so click the little button below. You know you want to :)**


	3. The Boy Who Lived

**A/N: Okay there was alot of who couldn't see who said what so I have taken them down and I'm on my to edit the next. **

**This is done. **

**Enyoy.**

**THE BOY WHO LIVED, **read Harry.

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say**

**that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.**

"You're welcome." said Fred and George in unison.

**They were the last**

**people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious,**

**because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

"What nonsense?" said James.

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made**

**drills. **

"What is a drill?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"It's a muggle tool." answered Hermione.

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did**

**have a very large mustache. **

"Lovely." said Sirius sarcastically.

**Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had**

**nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she**

**spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the**

**neighbors.**

"That sounds like Tuney." said Lily.

"Yeah, that's my aunt." said Harry.

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their**

**opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

"Yeah right," snorted Harry.

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and**

**their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't**

**think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters. **

"There is nothing wrong with us Potters." said James indignantly.

"According to my aunt, everything is wrong with us." said Harry.

**Mrs.**

**Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years;**

**in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her**

**sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was**

**possible to be. **

"And we thank heaven for that." said James cheerily.

**The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would**

**say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the**

**Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy**

**was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want**

**Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"A child like what exactly?" growled Sirius.

"Magical," answered Lily simply.

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, gray Tuesday our story**

**starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that**

**strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the**

**country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for**

**work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming**

**Dudley into his high chair.**

"Why do they let him act like that?" asked Mrs. Weasley indignantly, horrified someone could raise their child like that.

**None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.**

**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs.**

**Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed,**

**because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the**

**walls. "Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got**

**into his car and backed out of number four's drive.**

"They actually encourage him?!"shrieked Mrs. Weasley.

**It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of**

**something peculiar - a cat reading a map.**

"I bet that's Minnie!" exclaimed Sirius. 

"Mr. Black that is no way to talk about a professor." said Professor McGonagall sternly but you could see her smile slightly at the youngest Sirius antics.

**For a second, Mr. Dursley**

**didn't realize what he had seen - then he jerked his head around to**

**look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet**

**Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking**

**of? It must have been a trick of the light. **

"They do a lot to convince themselves that magic doesn't exist." remarked Bill.

**Mr. Dursley blinked and**

**stared at the cat. It stared back.**

"Definitely Minnie." said Sirius.

"Mister Black!" shouted Professer McGonagall.

**As Mr. Dursley drove around the**

**corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now**

**reading the sign that said Privet Drive - no, looking at the sign; cats**

**couldn't read maps or signs. **

"No, but animagus' can." said Sirius.

**Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and**

**put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of**

**nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.**

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something**

**else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help**

**noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people**

**about. People in cloaks.**

"Why weren't people more careful?" asked James.

"You don't think it's the day that... you know." whispered Ron.

"Unfortunately I think it is." answered Hermione.

"What happened on that day?" asked James. 

"You'll have to wait and see." answered Harry.

James pouted but left it alone.

**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in**

**funny clothes - the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this**

**was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering**

**wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite**

**close by. **

"We're not weirdos!" exclaimed Sirius.

**They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was**

**enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man**

**had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The**

**nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some**

**silly stunt - these people were obviously collecting for something...**

**yes, that would be it.**

"Again with the excuses." said Charlie.

**The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr.**

**Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.**

**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the**

**ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate**

**on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swoop ing past in broad**

**daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed**

**open- mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never**

**seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly**

**normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made**

**several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more.**

"He likes to shout a lot, huh?" said Tonks.

"Yeah, one of his favorite things to do." said Harry.

**He was in a**

**very good mood until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs**

**and walk across the road**

"He actually took a walk!" Harry said incredulously.

**to buy himself a bun from the bakery.**

"And the world makes sense again." said Harry.

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of**

**them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't**

**know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering**

**excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on**

**his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he**

**caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard yes, their son, Harry"**

"What about us?" James asked suspiciously.

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead. **

"We wish." said Fred and George.

**Fear flooded him. He looked back at the**

**whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better**

**of it.**

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his**

**secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost**

**finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the**

**receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking... no, he was**

**being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name.**

"It is in the magical world." said James.

**He was sure there were**

**lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think**

**of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry. He'd never even**

**seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold. **

"He doesn't even know his nephews name?!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley.

**There was no point**

**in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her**

**sister. He didn't blame her - if he'd had a sister like that...**

"Don't talk about Lily like that, there's nothing wrong with her!" yelled James.

**but all ****the same, those people in cloaks...**

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and**

**when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that**

**he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

**"Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It**

**was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a**

**violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the**

**ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in**

**a squeaky voice that made passersby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir,**

**for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at**

**last! Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy,**

**happy day!"**

"You-Know-Who is gone?" asked Lily.

"Not really." answered Harry.

"Oh…" said Lily. 

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.**

"He could" –

"actually reach?" said Fred and George mock amazed.

**Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete**

**stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that**

**was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping**

**he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he**

**didn't approve of imagination.**

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw -**

**and it didn't improve his mood - was the tabby cat he'd spotted that**

**morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the**

**same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**

**"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly. The cat didn't move. It just gave him a**

**stern look. Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered.**

"No just normal Minnie behavior." said Sirius.

This time Professor McGonagall didn't bother correct him cause she knew it wouldn't help anyways.

**Trying**

**to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still**

**determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

"Coward." said Sirius.

**Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all**

**about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had**

**learned a new word ("Won't!").**

"What a horrid child." said Mrs. Weasley.

**Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When**

**Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to**

**catch the last report on the evening news:**

**"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's**

**owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally**

**hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been**

**hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since**

**sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly**

**changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin.**

**"Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going**

**to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"**

**"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not**

**only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as**

**Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead**

**of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting**

**stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early - it's**

**not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."**

"Ted… isn't your dad a muggleborn, Tonks?" asked Remus.

"Yup, he is, it could be him." answered Tonks.

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain?**

**Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place?**

**And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...**

"Uuuhuh, the scary Potters is going to eat you." whipered James and Sirius in a way they obviously thought was scary but was really just a little weird.

"Shh." said Ginny.

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was**

**no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat**

**nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister**

**lately, have you?"**

"Of course she hasn't. She doesn't talk to me at all if she can avoid it." Lily scoffed.

**As he had expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all,**

**they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

**"No," she said sharply. "Why?"**

**"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... shooting**

**stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."**

**"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.**

**"Well, I just thought... maybe... it was something to do with... you**

**know... her crowd."**

"Her crowd?!"Lily huffed annoyed.

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered**

**whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he**

**didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son -**

**he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"**

**"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.**

**"What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"**

**"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

"Well, I think it's an awesome name!" exclaimed James.

"Thanks Dad." said Harry smiling.

**"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite**

**agree."**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed.**

**While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom**

**window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there.**

**It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for**

**something.**

**Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the**

**Potters? If it did... if it got out that they were related to a pair of**

**- well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

"That works out well, we don't want anyone to know we're related to you either." said James.

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr.**

**Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting**

**thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were**

**involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs.**

**Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about**

**them and their kind... He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get**

**mixed up in anything that might be going on - he yawned and turned over**

**- it couldn't affect them...**

**How very wrong he was.**

"I don't like the sound of this…" remarked Lily.

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat**

**on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as**

**still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of**

**Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the**

**next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly**

**midnight before the cat moved at all.**

"Poor Minnie." Sirius cooed.

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so**

**suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the**

**ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall,**

**thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which**

**were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes,**

**a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled boots.**

**His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon**

**spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been**

**broken at least twice.**

"I bet that's Dumbledore!" said Sirius loudly.

**This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

"I told you!" exclaimed Sirius gleefully.

"Nobody disagreed, Sirius." said Remus tiredly.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a**

**street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was**

**busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to**

**realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat,**

**which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For**

**some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and**

**muttered, "I should have known."**

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a**

**silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and**

**clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He**

**clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. **

"I want one, I want one!" Sirius and James chorused.

**Twelve times**

**he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street**

**were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat**

**watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed**

**Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening**

**down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his**

**cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down**

**on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he**

**spoke to it.**

**"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

"I told you!" yelled Sirius.

"Again nobody disagreed with you Sirius." said Remus.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling**

**at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly**

**the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was**

**wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight**

**bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.**

**"How did you know it was me?" she asked.**

**"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."**

**"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said**

**Professor McGonagall.**

Everyone laughed.

**"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a**

**dozen feasts and parties on my way here."**

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

**"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently.**

**"You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles**

**have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her**

**head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks**

**of owls... shooting stars... Well, they're not completely stupid. They**

**were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet**

**that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."**

**"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious**

**little to celebrate for eleven years."**

"Too true." said Mr. Weasley sadly.

**"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no**

**reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on**

**the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes,**

**swapping rumors."**

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping**

**he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A**

**fine thing it would be if, on the very day YouKnow-Who seems to have**

**disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he**

**really has gone, Dumbledore?"**

"Unfortunately not." said Harry.

**"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful**

**for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

"Dumbles is awesome!" exclaimed James.

"Dumbles?" asked Harry.

"We spend a lot of time in his office." explained James.

**"A what?"**

**"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of"**

**"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't**

**think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if**

**You-Know-Who has gone -"**

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him**

**by his name? All this 'You- Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I**

**have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name:**

**Voldemort." Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was**

**unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so**

**confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason**

**to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name.**

**"I know you haven 't, said Professor McGonagall, sounding half**

**exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're**

**the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."**

**"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will**

**never have."**

**"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them."**

**"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey**

**told me she liked my new earmuffs."**

"TMI Dumbles!" shouted Sirius.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls**

**are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what**

**everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally**

**stopped him?"**

"Yes, tell us." said James.

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most**

**anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard**

**wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed**

**Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that**

**whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until**

**Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing**

**another lemon drop and did not answer.**

**"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort**

**turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. **

"No…" whispered Lily.

**The rumor is ****that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - dead. "**

"No they can't be!" shouted Remus and Sirius. Lily began to sob and James just sat there staring in shock for a moment, but when she began sobbing and he took her into his arms. She didn't even try to stop him, she just buried her face in his chest and kept sobbing.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

**"Lily and James... I can't believe it... I didn't want to believe it...**

**Oh, Albus..."**

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I**

**know..." he said heavily.**

"I knew you loved us, Minnie." said James in an attempt to lighten the mood but it didn't really work.

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all.**

**They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry.**

"No, you stay AWAY from my son!" shouted Lily.

**But – he couldn't.**

"What, why not?" asked James.

**He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how,**

**but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's**

**power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone.**

"Oh my god, my son defeated V-Voldemort." said Lily.

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

**"It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's**

**done... all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little boy?**

**It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him... but how in the**

**name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

"Yes, I would like to know that too." said James.

**"We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."**

"Which is Dumbledore's way of saying that he already know but won't share what it is he knows." said Harry quite annoyed.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her**

**eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a**

**golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch.**

**It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving**

**around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because**

**he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was**

**he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to**

**tell me why you're here, of all places?"**

"Yeah why would he take him to my sister?" asked Lily.

**"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family**

**he has left now."**

"What about me or Remus or Peter?" asked Sirius.

"Well I have my "furry little problem", Sirius you are unable to be there at the moment and Peter, well… you'll find out later." answered Remus.

**"You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried**

**Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four.**

**"Dumbledore - you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't**

**find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw**

**him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets.**

**Harry Potter come and live here!"**

"Yeah why can't he grow up in a wizards home?"asked James.

**"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and**

**uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've**

**written them a letter."**

"A letter? He think he can explain everything in a letter?!" said Lily indignantly.

**"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on**

**the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a**

**letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous - a**

**legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day**

**in the future - there will be books written about Harry - every child**

**in our world will know his name!"**

**"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his**

**half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous**

**before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even**

**remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away**

**from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

"I'm still mad he leaves Harry with _them_ but I can kind of see his point." said Lily irritated.

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and**

**then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy**

**getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she**

**thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

**"Hagrid's bringing him."**

**"You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as**

**this?"**

"I would trust Hagrid with my life!" said Remus.

**I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.**

"Ha, you're like Dumbles, Moony." said Sirius.

**"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor**

**McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does**

**tend to - what was that?"**

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew**

**steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a**

**headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and**

**a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of**

**them.**

"I want one, I want one!" yelled Sirius.

"Sirius, be quiet." said Lily.

"Yes Lily Flower." answered Sirius.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride**

**it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times**

**as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long**

**tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands**

**the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were**

**like baby dolphins. **

"Nice description, Harry." said Ron teasingly.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." said Harry.

**In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle**

**of blankets.**

**"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did**

**you get that motorcycle?"**

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sit," said the giant, climbing**

**carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to**

**me. **

"I get one, I get one!" yelled Sirius excitedly.

"Shut UP, Sirius!" shouted Lily.

**I've got him, sir."**

**"No problems, were there?"**

**"No, sir - house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right**

**before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was**

**flyin' over Bristol."**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of**

**blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a**

**tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously**

**shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

"Nuuh." Cooed the girls. Harry blushed.

**"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."**

**"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

**"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself**

**above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground.**

"TMI!" exclaimed James.

**Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with."**

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.**

**"Could I - could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his**

**great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very**

**scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a**

**wounded dog.**

"Hey, I take offence to that!" said Sirius.

Everyone laughed at him.

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"**

**"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and**

**burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead**

**- an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -"**

"How sweet of Hagrid." said Lily.

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or**

**we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly**

**on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to**

**the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out**

**of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to**

**the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at**

**the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall**

**blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from**

**Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

**"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying**

**here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

"He's going to leave you on the DOORSTEP!" yelled Lily immediately angry again.

**"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his**

**bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir."**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself**

**onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose**

**into the air and off into the night.**

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore,**

**nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.**

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he**

**stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and**

**twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet**

**Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking**

**around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the**

**bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

**"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish**

**of his cloak, he was gone.**

"I'm going to need it." sighed Harry.

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and**

**tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect**

**astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his**

**blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside**

**him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was**

**famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs.**

**Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk**

**bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and**

**pinched by his cousin Dudley... He couldn't know that at this very**

**moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up**

**their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter - the boy**

**who lived!"**

"Eh, wow. Who's going to read next?" asked Tonks.

"That would be me." answered Ron.

Ron took the book and began;

"**THE VANISHING GLASS"**

* * *

**A/N: Tell me what you think :)**


	4. The Vanishing Glass

**A/N: Uh I'm excited. **

**I've gotten a two-numbered number (don't think that's a word but just go with it) of rewiews. **

**I've edited this chapter too and tommorow I'll begin writing the next one. **

**Enyoy. **

* * *

**THE VANISHING GLASS, **read Ron.

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to find**

**their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at**

**all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass**

**number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living**

**room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when**

**Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls. Only the**

**photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed.**

**Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a**

**large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets – **

"I like your descriptions, Harry." said Fred and George in unison.

**but Dudley **

**Dursley was no longer a baby, and now the photographs showed a large**

**blond boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a**

**computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother.**

**The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.**

"Maybe Sirius came to get you?" suggested James hopefully.

"Nope, unfortunately not." replied Harry sadly.

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for**

**long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made**

**the first noise of the day.**

"I remember that. Not a nice way to start your day." said Lily grimacing.

**"Up! Get up! Now!"**

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again.**

**"Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then**

**the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his**

**back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a**

**good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it.**

"You actually remember?" asked Remus.

"Yeah, some." answered Harry.

**He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.**

**His aunt was back outside the door.**

**"Are you up yet?" she demanded.**

**"Nearly," said Harry.**

**"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you**

**dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."**

**Harry groaned.**

**"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.**

"He didn't say anything." said Ginny angrily.

**"Nothing, nothing..."**

**Dudley's birthday - how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out**

**of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and,**

**after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to**

**spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and**

**that was where he slept.**

"You slept in a CUPBOARD?!" yelled both Sirius'.

"Oh, they are going to pay." continued James menacing.

"No Dad, Sirius' relax, I don't sleep there anymore." said Harry in an attempt to calm them down.

"Fine."

All three sat down somewhat reluctantly.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table**

**was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as**

**though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the**

**second television and the racing bike. Exactly why Dudley wanted a**

**racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated**

**exercise - unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's**

**favorite punching bag was Harry, **

"He punched you?!" yelled Lily.

"The times he could catch, yeah he did." replied Harry.

**but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.**

"You take that after your dad, pup." said Sirius teasingly.

"Hey!" yelled James.

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry**

**had always been small and skinny for his age. **

"Nah, that runs in the family." exlaimed Sirius.

**He looked even smaller and**

**skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes**

**of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. Harry**

**had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair, and bright green eyes. **

"The most beautiful eyes in the world." exclaimed James and Lily blushed.

**He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of**

**all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry**

**liked about his own appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that**

**was shaped like a bolt of lightning. **

"You actually liked it?" asked Hermione.

"It was the only thing that reminded me of my parents." answered Harry.

"Ooh..."

**He had had it as long as he couldremember, and the first question he could ever **

**remember asking his AuntPetunia was how he had gotten it.**

**"In the car crash when your parents died," **

"We didn't die in a car crash and you know it, Tuney!" Lily cried out loudly.

**she had said. "And don't ask questions."**

**Don't ask questions - that was the first rule for a quiet life with the**

**Dursleys.**

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

**"Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

"That's not going to do any good." said Ron teasingly.

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and**

**shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts**

**than the rest of the boys in his class put**

**together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way -**

**all over the place.**

"Told ya." said Ron smirking.

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his**

**mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face,**

**not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blond hair that lay**

**smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley**

**looked like a baby angel - Harry often said that Dudley looked like a**

**pig in a wig.**

"So true!" yelled Fred and George.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult**

**as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents.**

**His face fell.**

**"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two**

**less than last year."**

**"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here**

**under this big one from Mommy and Daddy."**

**"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face.**

"He gets 37 gifts and you get none?!" shouted Mrs. Weasley.

**Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down**

**his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly,**

**"And we'll buy you another two presents while we're out today. How's**

**that, popkin? Two more presents. Is that all right''**

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally he said**

**slowly, "So I'll have thirty ... thirty..."**

"He can't even count. How did he do his homework then? Don't tell me you did it, Harry?" asked Remus irritated.

"Umm... no?" replied Harry nervously.

"I can't believe it! Wait, actually I can." said Remus.

**"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

**"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right**

**then."**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like**

**his father. 'Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair.**

"What a horrible, disgusting, greedy, fat child! And they ENCOURAGE it!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley.

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it**

**while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a**

**video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and**

**a VCR. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia**

**came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried.**

**"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't**

**take him." She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every**

**year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the**

**day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every**

**year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two**

**streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage**

**and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever**

**owned.**

"I feel with you, pup." said Sirius seriously.

**"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd**

**planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had**

**broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be**

**a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and**

**Tufty again.**

"Now Harry, that's just rude." reprimanded Hermione.

**"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

**"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy."**

"That feeling is mutual." said Harry.

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't**

**there - or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't**

**understand them, like a slug.**

"They're the slugs, not you!" shouted Lily.

**"What about what's-her-name, your friend - Yvonne?"**

**"On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

**"You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to**

**watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go**

**on Dudley's computer).**

"I don't think you'll be that lucky." said James sad.

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

**"And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

**"I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

**"I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "...**

**and leave him in the car..."**

**"That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone..."**

"He's not a dog!" exclaimed Lily.

"Hey, what's wrong with dogs?!" asked Sirius indignantly.

"Nothing, Padfoot, nothing." answered James.

**Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying - it had**

**been years since he'd really cried - but he knew that if he screwed up**

**his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

"Horrible, horrible child!" Mrs. Weasley cried out.

**"Dinky Duddydums, don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special**

**day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

Everyone doubled over in laughter except McGonagall, Dumbledore and Snape. McGonagall and Dumbledore just smiled and even Snape lips twisted slightly in the corners.

**"I... don't... want... him... t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge,**

**pretend sobs. "He always sp- spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty**

**grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

"YOU always spoil everything nasty, horrid, little boy!" yelled Mrs. Weasley.

**Just then, the doorbell rang - "Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt**

**Petunia frantically - and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers**

**Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face**

**like a rat. **

"So kind of like Pettigrew just skinnier." said Sirius menacingly.

**He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their**

**backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in**

**the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the**

**zoo for the first time in his life. **

"You had never been to the zoo?" asked Hermione shocked.

"I'd never really been anywhere except Privet Drive, Mrs. Figg's and school." replied Harry.

**His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

**"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up**

**close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy - any funny business,**

**anything at all - and you'll be in that cupboard from now until**

**Christmas."**

"Had they done that before?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"Not THAT long but pretty close." answered Harry.

**"I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly..**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did.**

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was**

**just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.**

"Of course you did, just not on purpose." said Bill.

"Yeah well, I didn't know that then." replied Harry.

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking**

**as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors**

**and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his bangs, which**

**she left "to hide that horrible scar." Dudley had laughed himself silly**

**at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day,**

**where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses.**

**Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it**

**had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. He had been given a week**

**in his cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he**

**couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly. **

"Cool, I tried that one time too. My mom thought my hair was to long so she cut it, of course not as bad as yours but anyway, it had grown out to the length it was before over the night." said Lily.

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting**

**old sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls) - The harder she**

**tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until**

**finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit**

**Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to**

**his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

"Well, that's something." said James relieved.

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on**

**the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as**

**usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was**

**sitting on the chimney. The Dursleys had received a very angry letter**

**from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school**

**buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon**

**through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trash**

**cans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have**

**caught him in mid- jump.**

"You apparated that young?!" asked Tonks shocked.

"No, I think I flew." replied Harry.

"I did that to when I was younger just from a swing." said Lily.

"I remember that." added Snape.

"Of course you do Sev, it was the first time we met." answered Lily.

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with**

**Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school,**

**his cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room.**

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to**

**complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the**

**bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects. This morning,**

**it was motorcycles.**

"Motorcycles are cool!" said Sirius excited.

**"... roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a**

**motorcycle overtook them.**

**I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It**

**was flying."**

"Harry, you really shouldn't say that to him." reprimanded Lily.

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right**

**around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet**

**with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!"**

**Dudley and Piers sniggered.**

"Idiots." said Fred and George.

**I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream."**

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the**

**Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking**

**about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a**

**dream or even a cartoon - they seemed to think he might get dangerous**

**ideas.**

"I don't get dangerous ideas." said Harry.

"REALLY?!" asked Hermione disbelieving.

"Okay, maybe I do but it's always for the greater good." replied Harry.

"Yeah, yeah whatever you say." said Hermione.

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The**

**Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the**

**entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry**

**what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap**

**lemon ice pop. It wasn't bad, either, Harry thought, licking it as they**

**watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley,**

**except that it wasn't blond.**

"I like your thoughts. They're so entertaining." said Luna.

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to**

**walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who**

**were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall**

**back on their favorite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo**

**restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker**

**glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him**

**another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.**

**Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to**

**last.**

"Of course it was. Something bad always happens to Harry." said Hermione tiredly.

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in**

**there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts**

**of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and**

**stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick,**

**man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the**

**place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car**

**and crushed it into a trash can - but at the moment it didn't look in**

**the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep.**

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the**

**glistening brown coils.**

**"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the**

**glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

**"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly**

**with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.**

**"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.**

"Prat!" exclaimed Fred and George.

**Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He**

**wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself - no**

**company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying**

**to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a**

**bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door**

**to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house.**

"Are you seriously comparing your life with an imprisoned snake's?" asked Remus disbelieving.

"Yes." answered Harry.

"Jesus, you sure are pessimistic." said Remus.

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised**

**its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's.**

**It winked.**

"What? Snakes can't win… oh I get it now." said Ron, totally in his own thoughts.

"And why exactly did you say that out loud, Ron?" asked Ginny irritated.

"Dunno, felt like it." replied Ron.

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was**

**watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised**

**its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly:**

**"I get that all the time.**

**"I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the**

**snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."**

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

"You're a Parseltounge?" asked Sirius neutrally.

"Yes I am." answered Harry uncertain.

"…. COOL! Can you teach me?" requested Sirius.

"Eh, no it's something your born with." replied Harry.

**"Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry**

**peered at it.**

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**

**"Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on:**

**This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see - so you've never been to**

**Brazil?"**

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of**

**them jump.**

**"DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE**

**WHAT IT'S DOING!"**

**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could.**

"Waddling. I like the way you think, Harry." said Luna.

"Um, thanks." answered Harry.

**"Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by**

**surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened**

**so fast no one saw how it happened - one second, Piers and Dudley were**

**leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with**

**howls of horror.**

"What happened?" asked Lily.

"You know if you hadn't said anything, we would know by now." answered Sirius.

"Sod off." replied Lily.

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank**

**had vanished. The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering**

**out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and**

**started running for the exits.**

**As the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low,**

**hissing voice said, "Brazil, here I come... Thanksss, amigo."**

"You're welcome mon ami." said Fred and George together.

"You speak French?" asked Charlie disbelieving.

"A little." answered they.

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.**

**"But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"**

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea**

**while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only**

**gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except**

**snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were**

**all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had**

**nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to**

**squeeze him to death. **

"I wish it had done that." said Ron.

"Yeah, me too." replied Harry.

**But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**

"Shut up, rat face!" yelled Sirius.

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before**

**starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to**

**say, "Go - cupboard - stay - no meals," before he collapsed into a**

**chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.**

"He starved you?!" shouted Lily.

"Eh, a little?" answered Harry.

"Ugh, when I find that walrus he will be wishing he was dead!" exclaimed Lily.

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He**

**didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were**

**asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking to the kitchen**

**for some food.**

"You shouldn't have to." said Mrs. Weasley.

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as**

**long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents**

**had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when**

**his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long**

**hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding**

**flash of green light and a burn- ing pain on his forehead.**

"You remember that part too?" asked Sirius.

"I remember even more now." answered Harry.

**This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the green**

**light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all. His aunt and**

**uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask**

**questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.**

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown**

**relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the**

**Dursleys were his only family. **

"I'm sorry pup." said Sirius, sad.

"It's not your fault Siri." replied Harry.

**Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped)**

**that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers**

**they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once**

**while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley.**

"Was that Professor Flitwick?" asked Tonks.

"I think so." answered Harry.

**After asking Harry**

**furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the**

**shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in**

**green had waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long**

**purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and**

**then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these**

**people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a**

**closer look. **

"Because that's not suspicious at all." said Proffesor McGonagall frowning.

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated**

**that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and**

**nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

"Who's turn is it?" asked Ron.

"Mine." said Hermione.

**"The Letters from No One"**

* * *

**Rewiew! :)**


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